Poetry on Character and Voice

POETRY ON CHARACTER AND VOICE

REVISION CARDS (12 POEMS, HIGHER TIER)

PREPARED BY MR P AND THE STUDENTS OF 11X1ApRIL 2013.

Contents

Past Exam Questions: Paper 2

Specimen Paper

June 2011

January 2012

June 2012

Checking Out Me History

My Last Duchess

Horse Whisperer

On A Portrait Of A Deaf Man

The River God

Singh Song!

Medusa

Les Grands Seigneurs

The Hunchback In The Park

The Clown Punk

CaseHistory: Alison (Head Injury)

Ozymandias

Past Exam Questions: Paper 2

Section A: Anthology – Moon on the Tides

Answer one question from this section.

You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on this section.

Character and voice

Specimen Paper

EITHER

01.Compare how a character’s voice is created in The River God and one other poem from Characters and Voices. (36 marks)

02.Compare how a character is presented in Medusa and one other poem from Characters and Voices. (36 marks)

June 2011

EITHER

01.Compare the ways poets present powerful characters in ‘My Last Duchess’ (page 15) and one other poem from Character and voice. (36 marks)

02.Compare the ways poets present strong emotions in ‘Medusa’ (page 8) and one other poem from Character and voice. (36 marks)

January 2012

EITHER

01.Compare the ways poets present ideas about identity in ‘The Clown Punk’ (page 4) and one other poem from Character and voice. (36 marks)

02.Compare the ways poets present isolated characters in ‘The Hunchback in the Park’ (page 18) and one other poem from Character and voice. (36 marks)

June 2012

EITHER

01.Compare how poets use language to explore ideas and feelings in ‘Checking Out Me History’ (page 5) and in one other poem from Character and voice. (36 marks)

02.Compare the ways poets present ideas about power in ‘Ozymandias’ (page 14) and in one other poem from Character and voice. (36 marks)

Checking Out Me History

SUBJECT:
The speaker researches and asserts his own identity, sarcastically mocking how history teaching is dominated by white heroes and ignores the black champions of the Caribbean. The poet is from the Caribbean himself. / TONE:
Angry, frustrated, sarcastic, mocking, defiant, proud…
USEFUL QUOTES/TECHNIQUES:
Language and title – the poem is written in non-standard English to reflect the accent and dialect of the poet’s Caribbean origins – for example, in the title, ‘Me’ replaces the possessive pronoun ‘My’. This implies his determination not to lose his identity and language, despite the biased, selective white history he has been subjected to; there is also a pun on ‘me’, as he is checking out himself, as well as his history – this is a search for who he really is and who his role models should be.
Repetition of ‘Dem tell me/Dem tell me’ – monosyllabic, childish (mocking how people childishly accept the history taught to them without questioning it; or perhaps conveying his anger) – the emphasis on ‘tell’ implying he does not accept their word. ‘Dem’ (them) implies a sense of alienation from the white teachers – there is a clear sense of ‘them and us’, as he reasserts his identity.
The poem uses repeated metaphors to do with sight and vision:

His own vision has been bandaged (rather than corrected) by warped versions of his own Caribbean history, until now; he has been ‘blinded’
The black heroes have ‘vision’; they are referred to as a ‘beacon’ (a torch used to light the way and provide a warning against attack – perhaps symbolic of how Agard himself wants to provide a warning against a white-dominated, prejudiced version of history, and wants to reveal the truth to others); Nanny is a ‘see-far’ (visionary) woman; Seacole is a ‘healing star’ (visible to all – a role model) and a ‘yellow sunrise’, representing the warmth and hope that this black role-model provided to white soldiers.
The juxtaposition of child-like heroes and fairy-tales (Dick Whittington, the monosyllabic, childish ‘cow who jump over de moon’, Florence Nightingale and Old King Cole) emphasises how pathetic many white role models are – the trite ending of ‘how Robin Hood used to camp’ conveys a dismissive tone.

These mocking examples are followed by faster-paced, elongated stanzas revealing the speaker’s respect and admiration for the Caribbean heroes, the short lines increasing pace as if the speaker is breathless with excitement.
Seacole is a ‘yellow sunrise to the dying’ – the dying referring not only to the white soldiers she saved, but perhaps how researching her life has revived the speaker’s own sense of identity and pride, which was dying. This links to the ‘Caribs and Arawaks’, native peoples subjugated and eliminated from history – Agard is reviving and reawakening the dead.

STRUCTURE
Comment on...

the effect of the enjambment – conveying his angry outpouring of argument
the use of rhyme, perhaps to convey how predictable whites’ accounts of history are, and how childish
the refrain (repeated phrase) of ‘Dem tell me dem tell me what dem want to tell me’ at the start and end of the poem, to symbolise how nothing has changed – the whites continue to ignore black history – but the added final two lines change the tone (signalled by the qualifier ‘but’), as the defiant speaker is ‘carving’ out his own identity (‘carving’ implying a sense of pride in the labour, polishing a true account from the rough material he was given to work from – and creating a true version that will last, like a sculpture, for all to see.

LINKS TO OTHER POEMS ALREADY STUDIED:
Singh Song (identity and confusion); Case History (identity and confusion)

My Last Duchess

SUBJECT:
A dramatic monologue; the 16th-century Duke of Ferrara is being visited by a messenger who is negotiating the Duke’s next wedding. The Duke shows off a picture of his ‘last’ wife (the Duchess) and recalls her failings. / TONE:
Jealous, arrogant, obsessive, ominous, controlling, misogynistic, eloquent, melodramatic, insane...
STRUCTURE
This is a dramatic monologue. We are the imagined, silent listener, and are treated almost as an accomplice as the Duke confides in us. The true murderous nature of the Duke is revealed as the opening appears to show him proud of his wife...then confused...then angered.
USEFUL QUOTES and language points
Title: ‘My’ – possessive pronoun implies he sees women as possessions
‘That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall’ – arrogant and proud; painting symbolic of how he treats women (should be seen and not heard, wants to be able to hide them and control who sees them)
Rhetorical questions imply he’s desperate for us to agree with him – wants to justify his behaviour as if it’s normal. Also implies his commanding presence.
‘too soon made glad’ – the Duke’s euphemism shows how carefully he chooses his words, pretending that he is being diplomatic (actually patronising his wife as being simple – insulting tone). Monosyllabic language echoes how he sees her as childlike. / Sibilance of ‘disgusts’ – the Duke’s admiration has dissolved into harsh hatred
‘I choose never to stoop’ – metaphor implying she was beneath his contempt. Arrogance. Melodramatic monosyllables
‘This grew. I gave commands. Then all smiles stopped together’. Short sentences convey his rising anger and short temper. Euphemism again – threatening tone (perhaps warning the messenger?). Melodramatic pauses.
Enjambment of ‘There she stands/ as if alive’ – emphasizes her death and his pride
Ending – moves swiftly on to explore the next statue, symbolic of his ability to move on to the next conquest…

Horse Whisperer

SUBJECT:
A horse whisperer is angry that his skills are no longer needed, and he is driven from his home as people mistrust his skills.
Themes: alienation, search for identity, religion and magic, change. / TONE:
Magical, mysterious
USEFUL QUOTES/TECHNIQUES:
Title – the speaker is defined by his role – he does not see himself as a named person, but instead sees himself as closer to horses than men
‘They shouted for me’ – past tense (emphasising how he was once needed, reinforced by this being repeated in stanza 2). Clear sense of alienation – ‘they’ (the farmers) are barely described, compared to the speaker’s obvious awe and reverence of the horses (the hushed sibilance of ‘restless hooves traced circles’ implying his sense of wonder, and perhaps suggesting there is something mystical in the horses’ drawings).
The oxymoron of ‘tender giants’ conveys the two perspectives: farmers see horses only as tools, because of their strength; the speaker sees them as ‘tender’ beings (contrasting to the farmers’ brutality).
Other quotations suggesting the speaker’s love for the horses:
‘stately heads’ (as if they’re royalty)
‘like helpless children’ (the simile implying how vulnerable the horses are – ironically, the speaker is just as vulnerable)
The speaker personifies pitchforks that chase him out – he cannot relate to farmers as people – in fact, horses seem more human to him. He joins the ‘stampede’ as if he has become part of the herd – he flees the farmers in fright, and can’t work with horses again. / Final stanza: the monosyllabic words of ‘Still I miss them’ makes the speaker sound childish and sad – the irony being that ‘them’ refers to horses, not people.
The listing of breeds of horses, as if at a memorial service.
The final lines (‘the pride…most of all the pride’ – monosyllabic, repetition of the pride referring to his pride or that of the horses?
STRUCTURE
Comment on...
Free verse and enjambed – implying the speaker’s free spirit, or perhaps how his memories and bitterness come pouring out as he recalls how badly he was treated.
Each stanza is shorter than the last – his life and worth are running out?
LINKS TO OTHER POEMS ALREADY STUDIED:
Singh Song (identity and confusion); Case History (loss and despair)

On A Portrait Of A Deaf Man

SUBJECT:
The poet writes an elegy (funeral poem) following the death of his father, comparing his father’s simple (and deaf) life to the horror of death.
Themes: loss, death, despair… / TONE:
Loving, desperate, resentful, defeatist
USEFUL QUOTES/TECHNIQUES:

Title: Use of the indefinite article (‘a’) makes the man seem unimportant: everybody dies; he’s just one of many. It’s a portrait, that’s all there is left of him.
Language: The language very sophisticated and in Queen’s English, which is ironic because the deaf man could never have heard proper English. Alternatively, it could show what he is missing out on, either because he is dead or because he is deaf. Also, the language is quite old-fashioned, which symbolises the way that he, like old-fashioned language (and structure), is dying and faded.
Contrasting tenses: past tense (“He liked”)emphasises how he is dead and no longer there. This shows underlying resentment of the way that he has been taken away.Present tense (‘But now his mouth is wide…’) shows the horror of death – there is no spiritual or religious salvation offered
The pun: Deaf sounds like death, subconsciously thinking about it and unable to take it off his mind. Puts emphasis on the negative points of his life, as that is all that is remembered.
Vivid, horrific imagery (maggots, clay’ designed to shock and appal the read
Irony: “loud” tie – the deaf man could not hear, so nothing was really loud. Irony is used throughout the poem in the language and the structure. It’s like a sick joke – perhaps this is what the speaker feels about God and religion? This leads up to God saying that he should pray for the deaf man, but does not really care.
Helplessness: “maggots in his eyes” – the deaf man can no longer use either of his strongest senses, so is completely useless. This shows the inevitability of death and how we are helpless against it.

Contrasts: Throughout the poem there are lots of contrasts, for example “shake hands” and “finger-bones stick through his finger ends”, “loosely fitting shooting clothes” and “closely fitting shroud” and “potatoes in their skin” and “London clay”. Contrasts emphasise the horror of death.
Monosyllabic language: The language gets less complex towards the end of the poem, as the speaker gets more angry and less in control, e.g. “he would have liked to say good-bye”.
Shocking end: “I only see decay” – shortest line in the poem, its ending early symbolises the way the deaf man’s life has been cut off. The decay is not just of the man’s corpse, but symbolises the decay (loss) of the speaker’s faith and sense of joy.

STRUCTURE

Regular stanzas show the predictability of death – it’s inescapable, like the plodding, iambic, heartbeat rhythm
Anti-climax at the end of every stanza; shows how every good thing has to come to an end. He gives up.
Ballad, which tends to be sad and thoughtful.

LINKS TO OTHER POEMS ALREADY STUDIED:
Case History (Alison), Ozymandias…

The River God

SUBJECT:
A ‘river god’ is strong, powerful and insanely lonely, as he boasts of drowning a woman and keeping her as his lover.
Themes: loneliness, frustration, anger, arrogance, death / TONE:

“Once there was a lady who was too bold”: childish; fairy-tale
Warning!
Loneliness

USEFUL QUOTES/TECHNIQUES:

Title - “The”: definite article/all powerful, unique, the only one - loneliness?
Title - “God”: omnipotence, power, control - respected; maybe even feared
“I may be”: defensive tone, hint at how maybe he is impotent
“my”: possessive pronouns - childishness, no-one is allowed to share his possessions
“I bless their swimming”: sibilance, hissing sound - conveys evil aura of river
“especially women”: sinister - change in tone, perverse
“But I can drown the fools”: monosyllabic - childish, petulant, boastful; sadistic
“take a long time drowning”: enjoyment - insanity
“Hi yih”: tribal chant, shows insanity and even the age of the river (has experience tribes)
“merrily I flow”: contrast, hysterical - character changes as a river does, unpredictable (like a river)
”brought her down here”: drowned her - euphemism; a desire to be respected
“beautiful”: repetition - emphasis, only cares about appearance - childishness
“Oh will she stay”: sarcasm, mockery; prayer - more insanity shown
“To hold her”: answers previous question - shows potential seriousness and danger of the river

“with many a weed”: anticlimax from built-up description - contrast in personality conveyed in contrast of description
“what a beautiful white face”: purity/death - irony, shallowness (reference to actual river depth; he’s not as all-powerful as he thinks he is)
“no-one on Earth who does not forget her now”: in denial, twists words to show insanity - like a child making excuses with use of confusing language
“I am a foolish old smelly river”: contrast to beginning “I may be...” - shows the contrasting personality
“my wide original bed”: pun (river bed and a typical bed for sleeping in)
“If she wishes to go I will not forgive her”: SINISTER

STRUCTURE:

Rhyming couplets: conveys the river’s sadistic, controversial humour
Enjambment: emphasis on certain points, shows the constant flow of the river
Perspective of the poem personifies the river: provides human qualities and makes it more intimidating
Dramatic monologue (like many of these poems!)
Black humour

LINKS TO OTHER POEMS ALREADY STUDIED:

Ozymandias, My Last Duchess

Singh Song!

SUBJECT:
Singh Song explores the confused identity of the son of an immigrant. / TONE:
Confusion, elated, abusive
USEFUL QUOTES/TECHNIQUES:
Title – aural pun; Singh -representing on behalf of all Sikhs; ‘sing song’ implies happy and ups and downs symbolising the mood of the speaker.
Phonetic language – emphasising speaking Punglish symbolising the confused identity.
Monosyllabic language – ‘he vunt me not to have a break’ – showing frustration and anger. Showing child like manner as he is struggling with the language – adding to his confusion.
Irony – ‘I do di lock’ – symbolises freedom, ironic as he is locking himself away which emphasises confusion.
Contrast – ‘like vee rowing through Putney’ – graphic, light hearted and adult themes, contrast with childlike behaviour in first stanza.
‘above my head’ ‘high heel’ – he worships his wife’s as though she is better than him, contrast in clothing between wife’s heels and mans pinnie.
Emasculation - ‘pinnie’: feminine symbolising lack of masculinity when in the shop, outlining confusion.
Direct address – ‘ven yoo shoppers’ accusing tone, shows anger and that he is standing up to people contrasting with his inability to confront his father.
Personification – ‘whispering stairs’ shows paranoia that he believes people will be judging him and ‘whispering’ about what he does when he goes upstairs.
Metaphor – ‘silver stool’ symbolising his confusion between status and his belonging. He believes he is worthy of a throne but not good enough for a gold one.
- ‘tiny eyes of a gun and di tummy of a teddy’ metaphor contrasting between wife’s two personalities of powerful and sweet, adding to his / confusion as he cant decide what kind of women he needs.
Repetition – ‘each night’ symbolises a ritual as he says it over and over- passion, sentimental, wants to emphasise point
STRUCTURE
Enjambment – overflowing stanzas symbolises his confusion as well as passion, with his lack of control for his feelings
Free verse – messy symbolising his confused feelings
Ending – changes from free verse to paired lines, showing he is no longer confused, has clearer thoughts and some structure.
LINKS TO OTHER POEMS ALREADY STUDIED:
Checking Out Me History (identity and confusion)

Medusa

SUBJECT:
A woman sees herself metaphorically turning into a monster through jealousy.
Themes: anger, loneliness, confusion… / TONE:
ANGRY…AGITATED…SADISTIC TONE…JEALOUS…FOUL…
USEFUL QUOTES/TECHNIQUES:
The poem use the extended metaphor of the Medusa myth to imply how the woman’s jealousy turns everything beautiful and natural to stone – her jealousy poisons her perspective and kills any chance of happiness or love.
The sibilance at the end of the first stanza (‘hissed and spat on my scalp’) represents the hissing of the snakes and creates an aggressive tone. The sibilance continues into stanza two…she can’t let go of the suspicion…
The image of her bride’s breath ‘souring’, becoming stale and rank, symbolises how jealousy makes her love stale; ‘lungs’, essential for breathing and life, are now trivialised as ‘grey bags.
“A suspicion, a doubt, a jealousy” uses the rule of three to emphasise her fears; the snappy punctuation shows anger and frustration.
At the beginning of the second stanza, “my brides breath soured, stank”, this is a contrast of a typical bride and how the speaker sees herself in an negative way, which reinforces the message that she hates herself.
The repetition of ‘foul’ emphasises her self-loathing.
The metaphor of ‘bullet tears’ – they wound her and those around her.
“Be terrified / It’s you I love” creates confusion between ‘love’ and ‘terror’, implying how she is confused and how love has become twisted and perverted in her head. The monosyllabic direct addresscreates a real sense of threat. / “In a heap of shit” – the use of monosyallbic, direct swearing is intended to shock; the childish rudeness conveys how any beauty or propriety has been destroyed.
“with a shield for a heart” – she cannot enter her lover’s life even though she is so desperate. The speaker imagines her husband dressed for battle – but is that because he needs to defend himself?
“and a sword for a tongue” she cannot talk to her lover without being wounded showing she is desperate to the point that she would hurt herself to be with him.
Repetition of ‘your girls, your girls…’ conveys her obsession, and also how she tortures herself by imagining her husband’s infidelity
The use of rhetorical questions at the end – a demanding tone – or is it suggesting she is questioning herself? Has she lost all self-esteem.
Always look at the last line – monosyllabic, pleading, self-pitying, childlike…
STRUCTURE
A dramatic monologue: the husband’s voice is not heard, as the speaker rants at him. In free verse, structured around the woman’s transformation.
The last stanza is a single line which creates menace.
The free verse and enjambed structure emphasises her ranting anger and outpouring of hatred (of her husband or herself?)
In stanza 4, 5 and 6 the pattern is predictable symbolising that she only knows one thing; that she hates herself and it turns good things bad.
LINKS TO OTHER POEMS ALREADY STUDIED:
You decide!

Les Grands Seigneurs